


Rotting in The Light

by WeAreTheNight



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mental Institution, Death, Disturbing Themes, Don't Read This, Dragon Ball Multiverse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Goku says fuck, Horrible fic, Horror, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I'm Going to Hell, I'm Sorry, Insanity, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Minor Character Death, Necrophilia, No Romance, Not ok, Other, Please Don't Hate Me, Please Don't Kill Me, Please Kill Me, Psychological Horror, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Vegeta is fucking insane, What Have I Done, Why Did I Write This?, asylum AU, disgusting, end me, extreme violence, goku - Freeform, no, vegeta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:46:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26778337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeAreTheNight/pseuds/WeAreTheNight
Summary: Goku was a soldier until he suffered an experience that rendered him unfit for combat. He's admitted to a mental hospital where he meets a mysterious character that only goes by Vegeta. Despite the obvious darkness behind Vegeta's eyes, Goku is determined to have one person to connect to in this place.He'll regret it forever.
Relationships: Son Goku/Vegeta (Dragon Ball)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter One

“You’ll be comfortable here, dear,” the young woman murmured to him softly as she had him sit down on the bed. The mattress was relatively soft, but it was oddly lumpy. He was still very drowsy from the drink they gave him earlier. He’d been very anxious a while ago, and he’d agreed to some kind of medicine that would make him calm. “We’ll have someone bring your things in shortly. Lay down, maybe take a nap.”

The tall man nodded sleepily and flopped onto his back, closing his eyes. Somewhere he could hear distant screaming but the drug seeping into his brain had too tight a hold for him to break through. It was better that he was too drugged up to become afraid. He didn’t want to panic again. Not like last time. He’d lost an entire week to a dangerous fabrication created inside his mind.

He knew it wasn’t real. It wasn’t real anymore. Those days were behind him. He didn’t have to worry about the gunfire. He didn’t have to worry about the bodies, torn to bits, ripped apart by bullets and explosions, falling from the sky or directly underfoot-

He was tripping all over them, slipping from all the blood. There was a corporal and a sergeant screaming his name but his panicking mind couldn’t make out what they were saying over the gunfire and the other sounds. Everything was blurry suddenly and a horrible roaring sound filled his ears.

He opened his eyes sharply, shivering and whimpering softly. He was curled up in the bed with a warm blanket tucked in around him. He hadn’t moved much in his sleep, and already the dream was fading from his memory. He sat up and looked around. It took him a few moments to remember where he was then he gulped upsetedly. 

'PTSD,' the doctor had said. 'The worst I’ve ever seen I think. You’re not safe around the general public and they’re not safe around you.' 

A nurse came in with a little clipboard and a gentle smile. “Oh good, you’re awake. Did you sleep well, dear? Let’s see here. Goku? Son Goku?”

Goku smiled a little sadly. “Yep… that’s me.”


	2. Chapter Two

Goku kicked his feet a little anxiously as he sat in an uncomfortable chair. There was about twelve of them sitting there in a circle, with one empty chair a few seats away from him. There were a few nurses standing close together and whispering urgently. Something had happened in another wing of the building. Goku couldn't quite tell what exactly was going on but it was bad. 

Finally the door opened and another two nurses came in with a very small man. Immediately the whole room fell quiet. The air crackled with a dangerous energy and every hair on Goku's body suddenly stood on end. This... Something was very wrong with this person. He was silent, but his eyes spoke loudly and they spoke of death. The nurses led him over to the empty seat and the other patients very visibly moved away from him. A nasty sneer came over his face for a moment before the blank expression settled over him again.

The head nurse inhaled nervously. "Good morning!" she said with a false cheerfulness. "My name is Bulma. Um. We have some new members here. Goku, dear, would you like to introduce yourself?"

'Goku.'

Goku shivered and glanced at the mysterious person. "Uh, yeah. Yeah. I'm Son Goku. I was... I was in the army and.. stuff went bad so..." He laughed a little nervously. "Here I am..."

Bulma cleared her throat. "We're happy you're here, Goku. Thank you. And... Vegeta?"

'Vegeta.'

So that was his name. Goku couldn't take his eyes off him. He held a quiet power despite his size. He was very well-built, just as muscular as Goku was. Vegeta didn't seem to register Bulma's words for a moment, then focused his eyes seemingly with some difficulty. Had he been drugged? He looked over at Bulma and grunted softly.

Bulma pursed her lips slightly. "Vegeta?"

A low rumble suddenly echoed in the room. Did he just fucking growl? Vegeta tossed his head back slightly enough to see her. The blank look had slowly shifted to aggravation, his eyes a little wild. The same horrid shiver racked Goku's body. 'Feral' was the word that came to Goku's mind, feral and evil. To everyone's surprise, Vegeta huffed and let his head turn forward once more. He growled again and sat back. "My name is Vegeta." His voice was beautiful, deep and rough. He licked his lips a little and grinned wickedly. "I don't think anyone wants to know why I'm here."

"Vegeta, enough," Bulma said, although she could not hide the fear in her voice. "We're going to take you back to your room now."

Vegeta cackled, which made everyone flinch. "Yeah? Ok." He waited until the two nurses from before came over before he got to his feet. He suddenly leaned back against one of them with a sensual roll of his body, turning his head and almost licking her neck. The poor girl squealed in terror and Vegeta laughed again. 

Goku's adrenaline shot up and so did his body. He was a lot bigger than Vegeta and every ounce of his fear of him disappeared. "Knock it off!" he barked, catching Vegeta's attention. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Goku, sit down," Bulma said, her voice tense. "Vegeta, go. Don't do it again."

Vegeta snorted and moved for the door, every movement measured and slow. The nurses followed him and shut the door behind them. Bulma exhaled softly. "Alright everyone," she said, the same happy tone creeping back in. "Back to your rooms!"


	3. Chapter Three

Goku continued to think about Vegeta. He wondered what the hell this guy had done to get in here. He was clearly unstable. The horrible look in his eyes had been enough to tell him that. He'd seen it before, just not as intense as that. Sometimes combat was too much for some people. They either crumbled like Goku had, or it turned them into killing machines. But there was a twist on this; something set Vegeta aside from any other insanity Goku had seen, for that's exactly what it was. Something had crept into that poor creature's mind and ripped him apart. Drugs perhaps? Abuse? Goku didn't have any answers for all the questions he had.

A nurse came in with a smile. "Good afternoon. How you feeling?" She was holding a little cup with a few pills. It was only a few, Goku realized with some relief. He'd seen nurses carrying cups full of pills, sometimes two. "Ready to take your meds?"

Goku nodded. "Is it ok if I ask what they're for?"

The nurse sat down beside him. "There's four kinds here. Mostly anti-anxiety, stuff that will keep you calm and hopefully prevent any panic attacks. This one is an anti-depressant. When you filled out the entry paperwork, we noticed that you showed some signs of depression. Nothing here is gonna make you very sleepy or groggy."

Goku nodded as she spoke. "Ok, thank you." He took the little cup and the water that she offered. He knocked back the pills and drank the water. 

"We'll be having lunch soon," the nurse went on. "Since you're pretty low risk, we'll let you be in the cafeteria with some of the others. They're all low or non risk as well."

Goku looked down, silent for a moment. "Will Vegeta be there?"

"Oh no," the nurse said hurriedly. "You'll all hardly ever see him unless we go outside. He's... No, he won't be there and won't ever be, even when he's behaving well. We can't trust him."

"What did he do?" Goku whispered. "What's wrong with him?"

"We're not allowed to talk about that, dear," she replied softly. "And I think it's better that we not let him talk about it either. He's in almost complete isolation. Once you get a bit more used to it here, we'll let you have a roommate- another low or non risk of course. We only have a handful of high risk and isolated patients here. He's our only isolated patient." The nurse inhaled deeply and stood. "Well, someone will come get you when lunch is ready, dear." She smiled a bit and left. 

Goku was even more worried than before. What was wrong with Vegeta? Was it truly that terrible? He shifted and looked around. He couldn't imagine being completely isolated. He'd be so lonely. He wondered if Vegeta was lonely. He looked down at his hands and rubbed them together. He found himself pitying Vegeta, the poor thing. An idea came to his mind and he laughed softly. Oh no. No, this was how he got into this mess in the first place. Trying to be the hero.

He was going to save Vegeta.


	4. Chapter Four

The food was terrible. Goku wasn't too surprised. He missed his ex's cooking, and her memory left a mild ache in his chest. He wondered what ever happened to her after they separated. She couldn't cope with his issues and he didn't blame her. He gulped it down as fast as he could and drank the cup of milk they'd given him. That tasted normal at least. He sighed sadly. It was gonna be a pretty miserable time here with such shitty food. 

He looked up, sensing a familiar dark energy in the air. 'Vegeta.' One of the nurses came into the cafeteria and snagged a few others, whispering in urgent tones. From somewhere in the building- above them?- came a terrified scream. The sound made Goku shoot to his feet. He heard one of the nurses command him to sit but the feeling in his stomach worsened when the screaming continued. It sounded like one of the nurses. He ignored everyone around him and raced out of the room, headed for the stairs. It was definitely getting louder and more panicked. 

"Help!! Oh my god-!" The poor girl was shoving herself against a door, frantically trying to lock it. An animalistic roar came from inside. Vegeta. Goku got to her side and slammed his shoulder against the door enough so that she could lock it. 

Rapid slamming sounds came from inside. Goku tried to peer in the window but Vegeta couldn't be seen. "He's gonna hurt himself-!"

"He can't," the nurse gasped. "The room. It's padded. Wait, why are you here-?"

"Goku!" Bulma shouted, running up the stairs. "Downstairs, NOW! You are not supposed to be here!"

"But-" Goku cringed away from her. "I- She was- Vegeta-"

The sounds from inside the room paused for a few moments. Then they resumed with even more frantic energy. Bulma looked at the door nervously. The frame was quite literally shaking from the sheer power behind each blow. "Goku, go back downstairs. Now."

Goku nodded and started back toward the steps. His heart was racing. The terror in that poor girl's eyes and voice had triggered a response and he couldn't help but go to her. Vegeta was dangerous, that was more clear than ever. Even as he continued down the stairs he could hear the banging, over and over, endless. He covered his ears and went faster. Another scream, but not the nurse's. Goku couldn't fathom the level of rage and pure hate in the sound. 'Vegeta.' What was going on in his mind? He went back to the cafeteria and sat down, the adrenaline leaving a shaky feeling in his limbs. He sighed softly and stared at his empty tray. 

A quivering hand touched his shoulder. He looked up and saw the nurse he'd helped. "You weren't supposed to do that. But thank you. I don't know what would have happened if he'd gotten out."

Goku smiled a little. "It was instinct honestly. I barely realized what I was doing. Is he... really that dangerous?"

"He is," the nurse murmured. "He really is." She removed her hand and went on her way. 

Goku watched after her and looked up at the ceiling. The screaming continued, noticeably raw now. How he hadn't hurt his vocal cords by now was beyond Goku. He vaguely recalled his own brief spiral into complete insanity, remembered his own screams and how much it hurt. But the pain was starting to come through now, he could hear. Goku laid his head down and covered his ears. It was horrible to listen to. The misery in Vegeta's voice now was more than he could bear.


	5. Chapter Five

On Goku's fifth day, they were allowed to go into the courtyard to get some fresh air and sunshine. Goku sat in the grass, breathing in the crisp fall air. He loved all the seasons but something about autumn touched a place deep in his heart. He brushed his fingers over the grass and smiled. But his peace didn't last long before a chill came over him. He opened his eyes and saw Vegeta staring at him from across the courtyard. 

He had a few nurses and three security officers very close by. He wasn't even in the sunlight, sticking to the shade of one of the buildings. His stance seemed slightly uneven and he couldn't seem to stand up straight. 'Sedated,' Goku realized. 'They had to medicate him before he could even come outside.' Vegeta's gaze finally broke away from him and he looked up at the sky. The clouds were sparse and fluffy. Air currents in the atmosphere caused them to move slowly through the sky, capturing Vegeta's focus. Goku could see the bags under his eyes and a sense of physical fragility despite how fit he was. 

Vegeta looked back at Goku and slowly started wandering in his direction. The security officers moved with him, carefully watching his every move. Vegeta stopped about ten feet away from Goku, tilting his head a little. Goku got to his feet and made eye contact with Vegeta. That's when he started picking up on something. His body language said that he was passive, listless, but his eyes... were completely clear, without the fog that came with the drugs. A chill went down Goku's spine. Should he say something? 

Vegeta's eyes darkened and he smirked a little. He knew. He knew that Goku knew. He tilted his head the other way. 'You won't say a damn thing. Bad idea. Don't tell them it's not working.'

Goku blinked, unsure of what just happened. He inhaled and dropped his eyes, no longer able to meet that horrible gaze. 

"I'm going to call you Kakarrot."

Goku looked up sharply. Vegeta was still staring at him. "Me?" he asked. "Why? That's not my name-"

"I don't care," Vegeta replied. Oh, he was playing so well. His voice was slightly slurred, a bit slow. But his eyes held a malicious shine. "I'm going to call you Kakarrot. It sounds better than your other name."

Goku gulped. "Uh. Ok. I guess." He was so uncomfortable. He had to tell someone that Vegeta was faking. They'd clearly given him some kind of drug that was supposed to keep him calm but... Why wasn't it working? 

Vegeta seemed to lose focus on him, rubbing his right wrist. Goku saw very noticeable scars and held his breath. The wounds had gone deep. Wait. Writing? Had Vegeta- or someone else- carved words into his skin? Goku didn't dare ask him, but now pity had entered his soft heart once again. This poor thing was suffering horribly. 

Vegeta refocused and looked back up at Goku. He looked vaguely human for a moment, his eyes wide and lost. Goku's heart shot up into his throat. He hadn't realized how gorgeous this little man was. He chewed on his lower lip for a few moments as the silence became uncomfortable. Then he realized something was wrong. Vegeta was staring right through him, his breath suddenly hitching repeatedly. The guards were ignoring it entirely even when Vegeta started shaking violently. 

What the hell were they doing? "Uh- hey!" Goku snapped, making the guards glance over at him. "You gonna do something!?"

The guards took one look at Vegeta and then looked back to Goku. "He's fine, this is normal."

"This is normal!?" Goku could swear that this was becoming a seizure. "Something's wrong!"

"Enough," the guard snapped. "Back off." 

Goku glared at him and looked back to Vegeta. He'd sat down before he'd fallen, still shaking and now whimpering. Goku knelt down and moved a tiny bit closer. "Vegeta? Can you hear me? If you can hear me, tap the grass. Can you move on your own?"

With jerky movements, Vegeta managed to move his hand to the grass, gripping the plants firmly. That was enough for Goku. "Ok, it's gonna be ok. Can you talk or no?"

Vegeta jerkily shook his head, another whine escaping him. Goku could feel his heart breaking. He didn't know how to help. "I know it's hard. But try to breathe normally. Can you watch me? Try to copy what I do." Goku took a slow deep breath in, and let it out just as slowly. He repeated the action and Vegeta breathed with him, still too shaky and not as deep, but better than a moment before. Goku didn't let it discourage him and continued. He was familiar with grounding techniques and he hoped that it might calm Vegeta.

A few minutes crawled by. Goku continued to breathe slowly. Vegeta wasn't shaking nearly as bad and his breathing was mostly normal again. Goku smiled a little. "Ok, keep breathing just like that. You're doing great. Good job. Stay here for now, ok? Just rest for a little while." 

Vegeta slowly nodded and raised his eyes back up to meet Goku's. "..... No one ever did that for me."

Goku sighed softly. "I know. And I'm sorry. Is it a little better now?" When Vegeta nodded again, Goku smiled. "Now you know what to do if it happens again. Does it happen a lot?"

Vegeta looked down and nodded. "It's... the fucking meds they give me... don't work. Makes me... sick. Makes me shake like that. Every day."

Goku gaped at him. "Oh my god. Really? Shit, I'm so sorry. What kind of sick?"

Vegeta rubbed his face. "Makes me throw up. Won't stop. They get mad. And. Make me take more. Doesn't work... but I have to anyway." He tugged on his hair a little. "F- Fucking sucks. I want... I don't want to be here. It's even. Worse here than the other place."

Goku's heart was breaking more with every word. "I... Do they... Do they know what's... wrong? Do you?"

Vegeta looked up again and was about to speak but one of the guards suddenly pulled Vegeta to his feet a little too roughly. "Back to your rooms. Now." They dragged Vegeta off without another word.

Goku hopped up, more than a little pissed. What the fuck? They still had ten more minutes! "What-?"

"Back to your room," the guard snapped. "Don't argue."

Goku huffed angrily and started to head back inside with the others, who were just as disgruntled. Why weren't they supposed to know why Vegeta was there?


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: minor character death, graphic depictions of violence

No one heard it happen. It was a quiet night just after the incident in the courtyard. Goku jumped when the first screams rang out on the floor above him. That cold feeling entered the pit of his stomach again and he inhaled deeply. 'Vegeta. Oh no.' He stood up and went to the doorway. Bulma's voice echoed through the hallway. "Stay in your rooms! Stay where you are!"

Goku still peered out. Bulma and a mixed group of nurses and security guards were clustered at the stairway. Goku's eyes widened when he saw a trail of blood down the hallway. "Holy shit," he mumbled to himself. "Oh god." Several different alternatives of what may have happened flashed through his mind. He quietly shut his door and sat down on the bed. Had Vegeta somehow gotten out of his room? That was the only way this could have happened. 

Someone was dead. There was an ambulance on the way. Goku exhaled sharply. "Fuck..." Vegeta had killed someone. He looked up at the ceiling. Why? He got up again and went to his door. The little crowd was gone, but now the voices had moved upstairs. Goku slipped out and went to the stairs. The blood dripped off the stairs slowly. It was somewhat fresh- so it happened within the last few hours. Goku slowly crept up the stairs, almost on all fours to aid in avoiding detection. The smell of drying blood filled his nostrils and he shuddered. Why was no one cleaning it up? 

He peered up over the top of the last few stairs and saw them crowded by Vegeta's room. The door was wide open! One of the guards moved closer to the door and a savage snarl rang out, making them all shift back nervously. They couldn't even get close enough to close it. Then Goku saw the body.

It was laying in the doorway, mangled in ways that he couldn't even begin to describe. It looked as if a bear had ripped the poor man apart, with severed limbs and internal organs spilling out. Goku's stomach turned somewhat and he hunkered down more. Vegeta had definitely done this. He bit his lip, wondering what to do. Would Vegeta allow him to get close, perhaps? Something in him urged him to try. He got up and headed that way. 

Bulma caught sight of him. "Goku-"

He raised a hand. "He may let me close the door," he said shortly, not wanting to deal with the bullshit. "I know he trusts me at least a little. Let me at least try. Okay?"

Bulma made a face but nodded slightly, motioning for everyone to stand back. Goku stayed clear of the doorway but tried to see what was going on inside. The room was heavily padded and totally empty. He didn't have a bed? Nothing at all? Not even blankets from what Goku could see. "What the... why is it so empty?"

"He can't have anything in there with him," Bulma said softly. "He could use it to escape or hurt himself. He almost hung himself with a bedsheet in the last facility he was in so he can't have those."

Goku's eyes widened and he looked inside again. Vegeta was sitting against the far wall, his knees brought up close to his chest. The blood trail followed into the room, and his red hands gave away that he was in fact the perpetrator. He caught sight of Goku and he lifted his head a little. He didn't speak, but the darkness in his eyes faded somewhat. 

Goku smiled a little at him, then took a slow step forward. "Hey... you ok? Did you get hurt?" Vegeta slowly shook his head. "Good. Okay. Is it okay if I come a little closer?" Goku didn't move again until Vegeta nodded. "Okay. Thank you. Can I move this?" he asked, gesturing at the maimed body. Vegeta shook his head, his eyes narrowing. "Okay. That's okay. Can I ask why?"

".... He's keeping the door open," Vegeta whispered. "I... Can't breathe. When it's shut. They suck all the air out. Can't breathe."

'Claustrophobia,' was the next word in Goku's mind. "Okay. Can I find something else to keep the door open? If we use something else can I take this?"

"Yes," Vegeta whispered. "But don't let them shut the door anymore."

Goku nodded. "Okay, yeah. Bulma?" He looked over his shoulder at the pale woman. 

She bit her lip. "He's... He's supposed to be shut in. He could wander around and kill someone else. It's not safe."

Goku blinked. "Could he stay with me? He's pretty calm around me most of the time. I know he's not 'supposed to' be around anyone but... Bulma, he cannot stay in there by himself. It's just going to make whatever is going on worse. He's claustrophobic and lonely as hell. Isolating him in there with just his own mind to torment him is not the best solution."

Bulma was silent for several moments. "... We'll have to pad your room. Keep a guard nearby at all times. Replace the bed with mattresses. Completely redo it so it's safe for him."

"So do it," Goku said. "Hell, I'll help. But he can't stay in there anymore. That's why he killed that poor guy. He was keeping the door shut and Vegeta panicked. If he's gonna be closed in, at least don't let him be alone."

"This is completely against every policy we have," Bulma whispered to herself, rubbing her face. "... Alright, we'll do it."


End file.
